I do. I also took different supplements i.e. MoreMilk Plus etc for a long time before finally accepting that pumps just don't produce much for me (or vice versa I guess it should be.) If I were able to be home with my child, it wouldn't be as big of a deal but this whole working mom thing is a bit of a downer when you can't pump enough to feed your child.

Audrey, one of my acquaintances said that her wife had trouble pumping for awhile too after their daughter was born. I was asking advice from her about some of my own issues, because she's had some lactation training. She said that getting a lc to come and help her with pump flanges and positioning, etc. made a huge difference. I don't know if it's true for everyone, but if you want to keep on for the next few months, it might be worth a shot.

I think Ada is starting to wean, or I am starting to dry up. For the past three weeks or so she hasn't been nursing other than waking up in the morning, before nap if we're home, and while getting ready for bed. A few weeks ago I started distracting her if she asked to nurse other than those times. Mostly because the way she is nursing is just driving me nuts and I'm already so exhausted from being pregnant. Now she doesn't ask and when she does nurse at those two or three times she only does it for a couple of minutes. And it's very much on and off and back and forth between my boobs every few seconds. And lots of talking, playing, etc in between. Sometimes she even talks to my boobs which is hilarious. But I'm not sure she's even getting much, if any, milk. I just tried to express some after leaving her in the bedroom with my husband and I couldn't get anything out of one side and only a speck from the other. And she has been asking for water when she's done. I'm kind of sad because I really did want to go until at least 2 years but I'm getting way more sensitive to her latching and unlatching so in another way I am ready for her to be done. Now I just need to convince her to drink other milk that's not only in a smoothie.

I think I have mastitis. Right after returning from visiting my in laws. Literally a couple hours after I waked in the door.

The worst thing. Two worst things actually: my husband had a work thing he had to be present for so he couldn't stay home with me so I'm watching the kids. Tomorrow they're supposed to go back to preschool, but I don't have enough milk to send the baby and the idea of pumping on top of feeding him is crushing.

I have a docotrs appointment at 2:30 so hopefully if I need antibiotics that will at least be dealt with

Feel better soon C&S - I'm glad you are getting in with the doctor so soon so you can be on the mend right away.

Sending more milky thoughts your way while you pump enough for daycare. You are doing such an awesome job with the nursing and pumping - it is such a hard thing to juggle! Drink your water and eat your oatmeal ;)

Oh C&S, that is so rough - it sounds like between the period thing and the mastitis and solo parenting your kids at your in-laws it has been a tough few days. I hope the mastitis clears up and that you feel better soon.

Sending lots of good thoughts Sashi!

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

The scheduler I talked to on the phone told me 2:20 today with my normal doctor-- then scheduled me for 3:30 tomorrow with another doctor. The really excellent and apologetic admin lady at the check in desk managed to get me an appointment for today with another doctor, probably because I looked like I was going to pass out on her desk.

If I can make enough milk, then I'll rest at home tomorrow... What is looking more likely is that M will stay home with me while E goes to school. Counterintuitively, he is the less strenuous child to watch so that's ok.

A few months ago I felt like I was starting to get a plugged duct so I pumped and the milk came out with this nasty yellow layer on it... And the baby refused to drink it. I think if I pumped right now and the same thing happened, my heart might break in two.

So I managed, between last night and this morning, to pump an entire bottle... So I have 3 that I could send with him, but he usually drinks 4. He'll be 1 on Sunday; does anyone think (or have experience with) mixing soy milk in to breastmilk for a 1 year old is ok? If so, I can easily stretch these to four bottles with a mix of 3:1 breast:soy.

1 is the age peds start recommending moving onto cow's milk so I would think some soy milk would be fine too. Maybe let your daycare mix it in with one bottle first to make sure he will take it though because you wouldn't want him to refuse them and waste all the bottles! your more solids today sounds like a good plan too!!! Hope you are feeling better soon!

Definitely ok with soymilk, though he might like the coconut better. There's no reason that babies can't have the soymilk before one, it's just that you're not supposed to use it as a replacement for bm/formula, but one bottle's worth for a one year old is reasonable.

Does he usually drink all of a bottle? If not, you could skim some from the three bottles to make all/part of a,fourth.

Well, he varies a lot on school days... Sometimes he'll have three 4 oz bottles, or that and part of a fourth, or very occasionally he drinks all four.

I poured it out into four bottles and actually had about 3.5 in each. So more than I thought. I topped 3 off with coconut and one with soy. It probably won't be a problem... He also has mashed sweet potato with coconut milk, and a piece of hummus toast... Stuff he loves and that I hope will be filling for him.

Thanks for the advice everyone... You can imagine the sorts of google hits you get for 1 year old soy milk etc.

Oy. If it makes you feel better, Malka has thrived on soy formula and the pediatricians (who routinely forget she's already on soy formula) ALWAYS recommend switching kids to soy formula when they're sick because it's tolerated better than cows' milk formula (gastrointestinally and respiratory-wise) - we've gotten that from all of our regular pediatricians and an ER pediatrician and nurses when she had RSV, so clearly there's nothing wrong with a soy beverage in principle and I'm sure you've fed him soy foods in the past so it's not likely he'd have a reaction all of a sudden.

I've been pumping all day (for tomorrow, when M is supposed to go to school again) and I've managed to produce a total of 3 oz. FML.

Maybe I'll just have my partner buy a can of formula. It peas me off to think that I've gotten through almost 3 years combined of nursing and have never needed to supplement, and now I need to. But I can't make my body do something it's not doing and the poor kid is going to need to eat when he gets home too so it's not like I can pump all night.

C&S, want to trade kids? Mine has some kind of virus and is refusing to nurse or otherwise drink anything. It's annoying, but I'm also paranoid about dehydration in part because my niece just finished a week-long hospitalization due to RSV, pneumonia, and dehydration.

Also, I wouldn't hesitate to use formula in your case. I'd be pissed too, but it's better than going nuts trying to make what your body just can't produce right now. Be kind to yourself - you need rest and time to heal. Hang in there.

_________________It's not like I'm busting out my boobie tassles and shouting, "BEHOLD! THE MIRACLE OF LIFE!" - TheCrabbyCrafter

I cut e down to 2 bottles from 3 when he was about a year. I just did it. sent him to daycare with less. they said he did just fine. now he takes 2 4oz bottles still and only ever asks for more if I am running late. my partner has tried adding soymilk to breast milk and he won't drink it but he loves soymilk on its own. at this point he drinks soymilk regularly but it doesn't replace breast milk for him.

I defiantly don't want to wean but butternut I am so jealous of you dropping pumping at work. I still pump two times a day and I hate it. e just drinks so much I can't get him to quit the bottle during the day. he would have a fit. I have a feeling it is goin to have to happen though since I am now working 5 full days a week. my supply is bound to tank.

I managed to pump 2 oz this morning (over the course of 45 minutes) so combined with all of yesterday's pumping I had 6 oz total. Magically, M only drank 3 bottles at school yesterday (with no complaint on their contents) so I was able to do 3 bottles of 3:1 breast:coconut for today again. The fourth I just did 2 oz soy/2 oz coconut. He has a pile of food he likes again. He will be ok.

As for me, I'm finally starting to feel a little better. My fever broke a couple times last night, seems like maybe it's gone totally now. Breast still red but not nearly as tender. Unfortunately i still couldn't sleep because these antibiotics are giving me heartburn of the likes I haven't had since my pregnancy with M.

Thanks again for all the reassurances about giving him other milks/formula/etc.